Connecticut
Educational Specialist Programs

(found programs from 8 schools)

Education Specialist Degrees in Connecticut

With all the ways a society can invest in its future, education is perhaps the most important. The children sitting in school today are tomorrow's leaders, inventors, artists, and legislators. As a Connecticut teacher, you have likely thought about the lasting impact of your lessons and the hours you spend with students every day.

More research on education is available constantly, and that body of research makes it easier to figure out what students need and what yields the best long-term outcomes. Knowing that, earning an educational specialist degree may be the next logical step in your teaching career. This degree can even help you explore career options in administration, curriculum development, and educational technology.

Role of Educators With an Ed.S Degree in Connecticut

If you feel that earning a Master's degree in education has taken your knowledge to new levels and made you a better teacher, you may wonder if an education specialist degree can do the same. Find out more about this option by contacting schools below.

To adjust to federal standards, Connecticut legislators have created an entire new set of standards for school evaluation. Factors in a school's rating include how well students are prepared for graduation as freshmen, the senior graduation rate, absenteeism, and academic growth across subjects (New Haven Register, 2016).

As part of education reform, Connecticut has gone the way of several other states and significantly decreased the amount of testing required of each student (Education Week, 2016). Across all grade levels, students may save up to one hour and 45 minutes of testing time each year.

If you work in special education, a specialist degree may be particularly advantageous to you. In Connecticut, legislators note that special education is a huge funding priority for at least the next few years (New Haven Register, 2016). This is due to a growing amount of students who qualify for special education services and a greater understanding of classroom inclusion.

Discover how your classroom experience may make you a candidate for a specialist degree. Contact schools below to get more information from admissions advisors.

Getting Your Educational Specialist Degree in Connecticut

Perhaps one of the most important parts of succeeding in an education specialist program is a selecting the proper area of specialty. As you look at schools below, you should look at available programs before you look at location, cost, and other factors. If you choose the wrong area of specialty, you may find that you do not have the right amount or type of experience, that your area of specialty does not prepare you for the career path that interests you, or that it does not fit your passions.

Luckily, there are many options at Colorado institutions. Some of the most popular areas of concentration include literacy instruction, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, and school library media.

As you start to narrow down your program options, make sure you look at curricular requirements. This degree has an extremely narrow area of focus, which allows you to develop expert-level knowledge in two to three years. To achieve this goal, each program must have a curriculum that is directly relevant to a particular subject.

For example, the courses listed below are often required of literacy instruction students:

Advanced Diagnosis and Remediation

Developmental Reading and Language Arts

Process Writing K-12

Organization, Administration, and Evaluation of Reading Programs

Middle School Literature

Reading Interventions

Utilizing Technology in Reading Instruction

If you are interested in changing your career path and focusing on administration, you may take courses like those listed below to grow professionally:

Review of Educational Leadership Literature

Administrative Internship

Technology and Information Management for Administrators

Advanced Curriculum Development and Program Monitoring

Law and Finance in Education

Teacher Supervision, Evaluation, and Staff Development

When it comes to the education specialist degree, CT schools often try to attract working teachers. Current, relevant classroom experience may help you learn more quickly and get more out of advanced topics and theories. Since many teachers spend well over 40 hours per week working, you may be able to earn a specialist degree in education online. However, there are still traditional in-person options if you learn better in a classroom.

The exception to learning online, of course, is practical experience. Before selecting a school, compare fieldwork and student teaching expectations. For example, a literacy instruction program may include a practicum course, two fieldwork rotations in different settings, and a semester of student teaching. Other programs may have more relaxed or more stringent expectations.

The immediate goals of this program are clear. By the time you graduate, you should feel more confident working in your chosen subject area, more effectively reach students with a variety of needs, and use current research to inform your teaching methods and plans. However, don't forget to look long-term with this degree.

By continually advancing your knowledge and trying new teaching techniques, you can more readily meet the needs of students that come in your classroom. In addition, your specialized training may help your school district save money while improving student outcomes.

Working With an Education Specialist Degree in Connecticut

Once you've earned your degree, the next step depends on what you want to do with your career. If you pursue an education specialist degree to become a better classroom teacher, you may not change your employment at all. You may just apply your new skills and theories to your current place of employment.

However, if you study educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or another non-teaching specialty, you may change positions inside or outside your school district.
Generally, you do not need to pursue additional certification with this degree. An advanced degree may allow you to apply for a Professional Educator Certificate through the Connecticut State Department of Education.

Job growth and salary potential statistics vary between teaching positions. The list below includes some options, along with predicted job growth through 2022 and average salary data:

You may also look into leadership opportunities in your teaching community. Staying active in the Connecticut Education Association is one way to utilize your training and build a stronger network with other education specialists.

Connecticut is known for its strong education system. With an education specialist degree, you can contribute to further improvement of the system. Find out more about your options by contacting schools below.

Are we missing any schools or programs? If so, please let us know! We appreciate your help in making this the best directory of Education Degree Programs on the web. You can send us an email at schools@educationdegree.com.